Newsletter Spring 2015 Fulbright Program in Ukraine www.fulbright.org.ua tel.:(+38044) 287 0777 [email protected] Stories by US Fulbright Scholars and Students 2014-2015: Fulbright changed my life U.S. Fulbrighters always find their stay in Ukraine inspirational and enriching Dear Friends, In this issue we have compiled U.S. Fulbrighters’ 2014/15 experiences in Ukraine vibrantly illustrated by their activities, achievements, and fruitful cooperation with Ukrainian institutions. Since September 2014, 10 scholars, 4 teaching assistants and 8 graduate students from different states and universities in the U.S. have been lecturing and carrying out research in 18 Ukrainian universities and research institutions. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the Ukrainian institutions who hosted US Fulbright grantees: • Chernivtsi Yuriy Fedkovych National University, Chernivtsi • Kamianets-Podilsky Ivan Ohiyenko National University, Kamianets-Podilsky • Kirovohrad Volodymyr Vynnychenko State Pedagogical University, Kirovohrad • Kyiv Municipal Academy of Circus and Variety Arts, Kyiv • Kyiv Taras Shevchenko National University, Kyiv • Lesia Ukrayinka Eastern European National University, Lutsk • Lviv Ivan Franko National University, Lviv • M. T. Rylsky Institute of Art, Folklore Studies and Ethnology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv • M.V. Ptukha Institute of Demography and Social Studies, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv • National Academy of Public Administration, Office of the President of Ukraine, Kyiv • National Aviation University, Kyiv • National Mining University, Dnipropetrovsk • National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, Kyiv • Oleksandr Dovzhenko National Film Studio, Kyiv • Petro Mohyla Black Sea State University, Mykolayiv • Ukrainian Catholic University, Lviv • Uzhhorod National University, Uzhhorod • Vinnytsia Institute of Economics and Social Sciences, Vinnytsia We thank you for your cooperation, hospitality and care shown towards our US Fulbrighters. To our readers: We would encourage you to take a moment to read about the Fulbright experiences, take note of the opportunities that exist for academic, personal and professional development, and consider applying for a Fulbright!. It is not too early to start planning for your future Fulbright experience. 01 U.S. Fulbright Scholars 2014-2015 Kauffman, Lisle Kansas City Kansas Public Schools, Kansas City, KS Education Lecturing | Providing Equal Access to Higher Education for Students Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing Vinnytsia Institute of Economics and Social Sciences, Vinnytsia 1.09.2014 – 30.07.2015 [email protected] When I initially submitted my Fulbright project proposal, it was written for a program at Volodymyr Dahl East Ukrainian National University in Luhansk (EUNU), where I taught with a Fulbright Scholarship in 2011. The original goal of this project was the development of an inclusive university environment for deaf and hard of hearing students, enabling them to achieve successful integration into the community and society upon graduation. Tragically, the war in Eastern Ukraine disrupted and ultimately ended the inclusion program at EUNU in Luhansk, so I have had to modify my current project. I am presently teaching in Vinnytsia, and my goals have shifted toward encouraging Ukrainian educators and university administrators to develop and implement inclusive education programs for students with disabilities, a monumental task in a country burdened by war and economic crisis. I am currently teaching special education courses at the Vinnytsia Institute of Economics and Social Sciences of the University “Ukraine” to undergraduate and graduate students in psychology and social work, as well as American Sign Language (ASL) to deaf students enrolled in a vocational program at the institute. Additionally, I have presented lectures and led discussions at various universities on the topics of deaf education, deaf culture, foundations of special education, inclusive education, and developing higher order thinking skills in students. I have taught in the cities of Vinnytsia, Bar, Kyiv, and Kryvyi Rih, with numerous visits to other cities planned in the future. I have had the pleasure of presenting at a number of conferences and roundtables including: 1st International Scientific Conference hosted by Vinnytsia Institute of Economics and Social Sciences The Problems of Providing Higher Education to Persons with Special Needs in Terms of Inclusive Educational Environmenton November 5, 2014, where I presented a televised lecture on “Providing Special Education Services to Students with Disabilities in the United States”; 14th International Conference Current Problems of Training and Educating of People in an Integrated Educational 02 U.S. Fulbright Scholars 2014-2015 Environment in the Light of the Implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on November 19, 2014 at the University “Ukraine” in Kyiv, where I presented the lecture “Successfully Educating Students with Disabilities”; and participated in a round table discussion on Inclusive Education at the Vinnytsia Institute of Economics and Social Sciences on December 4, 2014, where I gave a presentation on “Successful Practices of Inclusive Education for Students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.” During my Fulbright Scholarship in Ukraine, I have also been speaking to English language students in the local public schools, as well as volunteering at English Club meetings at Window on America in Vinnytsia. I have had the exciting opportunity to collaborate with the Vinnytsia City Council on improving community access to individuals with disabilities. We are developing an action plan titled City of Social Cohesion with a focus on facilitation community integration for individuals with physical and sensory disabilities, and this plan will be a critical component of a long term civic development document titled Development Strategy Vinnytsia 2020. The warm hospitality of my Ukrainian hosts, colleagues and students touches me deeply. For a people who struggle daily and have so little, Ukrainians are among the most loving and generous people I have ever met. Teaching in Vinnytsia, Ukraine has been extremely rewarding, and I have never been happier professionally. The sincere appreciation I receive from colleagues and students is highly uplifting and makes going to work a joy rather than a chore. Moreover, the warm hospitality of my Ukrainian hosts, colleagues and students touches me deeply. For a people who struggle daily and have so little, Ukrainians are among the most loving and generous people I have ever met, and I look forward to the final three months of my Fulbright Scholarship. As was the case in 2011, my final day in Ukraine will be very sad, indeed. Markiw, Victor University of New Haven, West Haven, CT Music Lecturing | American Folk Music. History of Rock & Roll Lviv Mykola Lysenko National Academy of Music, Lviv; Lviv Ivan Franko National University, Lviv 10.09.2014 - 10.06.2015 [email protected] This year I introduced Ukrainian students and faculty to American music. Teaching the course “The History of Rock and Roll” to young Ukrainian students (who surprised me with their English language skills) and faculty has been very rewarding. I was immediately impressed by their knowledge and interest in the topic and soon realized that my student base, essentially conservatory performance and composition majors, knew virtually every major American R & R musician including Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Bill Haley, and Jerry Lee Lewis, as well as major bands and genres from the 60s through the 90s. Like students back home, these young musicians were conversant with a plethora of current American rock bands, clearly demonstrating the universality of this beloved American musical genre. The students are, however, less aware of the roles played by blues, gospel, spirituals and jazz ensembles in the evolution of rock and roll. Also, I have been researching materials for a book I plan to write on piano playing. This semester I will prepare a number of performance practice questions for about 120 piano majors studying in Ukrainian conservatories. I will later compare these findings with a similar group of students in the United States. In addition to my teaching and research, I have been very active learning the Ukrainian language and meeting daily with new friends to speak Ukrainian and assist them with the English language. As 03 U.S. Fulbright Scholars 2014-2015 a pianist, I have spent countless hours practicing existing repertoire and working on a new repertoire as well as works by Ukrainian composers. I have given several performances in Lviv and Kyiv. The political situation remains the biggest surprise while residing in Ukraine. It has been very difficult living in a country at war and dealing with the daily struggles Ukrainians face, and, in particular, those who have become close friends and colleagues. McCabe-Juhnke, John Bethel College, North Newton, KS American Studies Lecturing | Text Embodied: Interrogating American Voices through Performance Lesia Ukrayinka Eastern European National University, Lutsk 2.09.2014 - 2.07.2015 [email protected] The goal of my Fulbright project is to facilitate intercultural dialogue through performance. As a scholar of performance and communication, I work with students to understand how perceptions of self and other are shaped by our individual and collective experiences. I use dramatic